Gardai have overwhelmingly negative view of Travellers - survey

Foxhound38

According to an article by the Times today, the results of a survey carried out within the Gardai shows overwhelmingly negative views of Travellers and Roma within the force.

This is a bit of a tough one - on the one hand, these lads and ladies are on the front lines having to deal with people from these groups everyday. These attitudes were likely not picked from the ether. And I'm not one to defend the "culture boss" stuff - you only have to take a look at the illiteracy, educational attainment, incarceration, drug use, teenage pregnancy, suicide and chronic joblessness rate within those communities to see that there is and has been a very serious problem with the culture they speak about.

On the other hand, if the people working for the State agency they are most likely to have contact with from an early stage in life already has a negative view of their entire group, what hope can there be of improved relations between settled and travelling people? What hope is there that there can be any future buy-in to society from these people?

What can be done here?


Mod Note from post 78

Generic 'traveller bashing' is not welcome here. Either post in specific relation to the OP or dont post at all.

Eric Cartman

Id imagine the first hand experience of these groups has only cemented their negative views.
The only way for travellers to reform the views of them in society is for themselves as a community to actively stop participating in crime and violence. The state has done all it can, its time for them to take personal responsibility for how society correctly sees them.

suicide_circus

Foxhound38 wrote: »

What can be done here?

These groups could stop committing crime on an industrial scale?

Banana Republic.

Foxhound38 wrote: »

According to an article by the Times today, the results of a survey carried out within the Gardai shows overwhelmingly negative views of Travellers and Roma within the force.

This is a bit of a tough one - on the one hand, these lads and ladies are on the front lines having to deal with people from these groups everyday. These attitudes were likely not picked from the ether. And I'm not one to defend the "culture boss" stuff - you only have to take a look at the illiteracy, educational attainment, incarceration, drug use, teenage pregnancy, suicide and chronic joblessness rate within those communities to see that there is and has been a very serious problem with the culture they speak about.

On the other hand, if the people working for the State agency they are most likely to have contact with from an early stage in life already has a negative view of their entire group, what hope can there be of improved relations between settled and travelling people? What hope is there that there can be any future buy-in to society from these people?

What can be done here?

Pavee Point need to actually be more then just a name, they need to actively encourage and enforce change plus the travelling community need to want to change aswell. The Gardaí didn’t pick up this attitude out of nowhere but you can’t tar all the Gardaí or the travelling community with the same brush either. It’s a really tough one because they are a law unto themselves. The Gardaí have to deal with a caveman mentally from the Male and female travelers which has gotten considerably worse with the introduction of drug fuelled traveller gangs too. The Gardaí need more power, The will for change has to be on both sides but without the intimidation from travellers Gardaí wouldn’t have this issue in the first place.

CtevenSrowder

Is anyone surprised?

Duke of Url

Remove the minority ethnic group status and treat them like any other Joe Soap in the country.

We dont need buy in from them.

We need the laws of the country to apply to everyone residing in the country.

Plumbthedepths

I find the results of the study shocking. I rarely hear of any Garda interaction with members of said communities.

Thelonious Monk

What I find disappointing is that the one or two travellers that get an education and a public voice, like that Dr Joyce woman, use their platform to just bang on about how mistreated travellers are by us, instead of maybe trying to sort out their own community instead of blaming it on others. It's at the stage now where neither side trusts the other, but it can't all be down to us to sort everything out.
Also their way of life is just not compatible with ours, so they're always going to be breaking the law. I really don't know what can be done.

Eric Cartman

Plumbthedepths wrote: »

I find the results of the study shocking. I rarely hear of any Garda interaction with members of said communities.

ohh theres plenty of interaction, sadly they're just reluctant to up this interaction to involving handcuffs as it should.

whisky_galore

In other news, water found to be wet.

jimmycrackcorm

Plumbthedepths wrote: »

I find the results of the study shocking. I rarely hear of any Garda interaction with members of said communities.

I too am shocked at the idea that the gardai have the same opinions as the rest of us

Eric Cartman

Various Artists wrote: »

Funny how 'they' are trying to lump in the travellers with the Romanian gypsies when those two groups probably hate each other.

Absolutely, theres no group more racist against 'brown' people in this country than travellers and the Roma consider travellers as rocking the boat too much resulting in their criminality being more visible and clamped down upon.

Foxhound38

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

What I find disappointing is that the one or two travellers that get an education and a public voice, like that Dr Joyce woman, use their platform to just bang on about how mistreated travellers are by us, instead of maybe trying to sort out their own community instead of blaming it on others. It's at the stage now where neither side trusts the other, but it can't all be down to us to sort everything out.
Also their way of life is just not compatible with ours, so they're always going to be breaking the law. I really don't know what can be done.

It boils my blood when they do that because often the ones who do manage to get a decent education (and fair play to them for that much) face the most vociferous opposition during that process from their own community, generally members of their own extended family who see education as a threat to the culture, especially for girls. It's definately not unheard of for male members of extended traveller families to attempt to forcefully take girls out of education even where the parents of the child wish them to stick with it.

Then the ones who get through it often turn around at the end of it and publicly blame the rest of us for the problems that beset that community. There is definately prejudice in the settled community towards them but it's generally gained from first hand experience and their biggest issues are ones they themselves created.

Thelonious Monk

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Also their way of life is just not compatible with ours, so they're always going to be breaking the law. I really don't know what can be done.

Sure, you do. You said it at the beginning of the sentence. Their way of life is incompatible with ours.

Which means that Traveller culture should not be protected, and moves should be made to wean Travellers away from that culture. Their special ethnic status should be removed, and they shouldn't receive any welfare benefits that aren't already available to normal citizens.

Basically, as was said earlier, they need to be treated the same as any other member of Irish society. They're not a minority needing special treatment. but simply Irish people.

Come down hard on the drug dealing, the prostitution, the bare knuckle fighting rings, etc. Heavily Tax the use of caravans or mobile homes, while providing them with basic jobs capable of paying the rent in apartments. No free houses. Treat them the same as any other working class persons/families needing a helping hand. Cut out all the BS that prevents them from being treated the same as any other Irish person, with the responsibilities and consequences of their choices/behavior.

Dempo1

What can be done? Absolutely nothing, Nada, Zilch frankly. I work in a Midlands town and weekly, daily, hourly I witness what the Gardai have to put up with, let alone the public. Things got marketly worse after ENDA Kenny stood up in the Dail and approved ethnic recognition, the ink had barely dried on the legislation when the nonsense started, ask any retailer dealing with this BS on a daily basis. It's perhaps an awful thing to say but since restrictions came in re Covid-19, it's been a godsend and pretty much most of the horrendous behaviour seems confined to their own dwellings & circle

punisher5112

Is this any surprise?

Gardai need armed back up to enter sites....

They intimidate to no end and the UK police don't even know what to do with them.

Banana Republic.

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

What I find disappointing is that the one or two travellers that get an education and a public voice, like that Dr Joyce woman, use their platform to just bang on about how mistreated travellers are by us, instead of maybe trying to sort out their own community instead of blaming it on others. It's at the stage now where neither side trusts the other, but it can't all be down to us to sort everything out.
Also their way of life is just not compatible with ours, so they're always going to be breaking the law. I really don't know what can be done.

Absolutely nailed it, their way of life isn’t compatible to ours. You can fit a round peg in a square hole.

boombang

I saw the Gardaí arrest two people in Dún Laoghaire the other week. I can't be sure, but they seemed to be travellers. One of them resisted arrest and gave the guards such a hard time. There'd be no way you wouldn't form a negative view of people like that.

amadangomor

boombang wrote: »

I saw the Gardaí arrest two people in Dún Laoghaire the other week. I can't be sure, but they seemed to be travellers. One of them resisted arrest and gave the guards such a hard time. There'd be no way you wouldn't form a negative view of people like that.

Had an interaction with them in Dun Laoghaire.

Was out with friends who were playing bongos on the rocks. The traveler girls were interested and came over and had a try. The lads on the other hand started to throw stones at us. Polish lads with us threw stones back at them:pac:

Have had a couple of positive interactions with travelers but most have been negative. Sad the uncivilised ones give the others a bad name.

Thelonious Monk

What is the British police approach like to Irish Travellers? Is it just a case of the police having a hands off policy and letting them be like it is here?

un5byh7sqpd2x0

I'd suspect that this view is not confined to members of An Garda Siochana.

CtevenSrowder

I wonder what the Guards views are on the Amish and their illegal dumping.

punisher5112

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

What is the British police approach like to Irish Travellers? Is it just a case of the police having a hands off policy and letting them be like it is here?

They're afraid of them.... Outnumbered and intimidated.

Gods Gift

Why did kenny do it.
Did he think it would be his legacy.
There are around 35000 travellers in Ireland. 80% unemployment. I live near a small town with a good few travellers and they have contributed zero to the town. During the country wide lockdown caravans came and went as they pleased from a new illegal halting site. One day no caravans, 3 days later over 20. Of the 8 pubs in town, 4 are up over discrimination. How do they get van licenses when the couple I have asked to write down quotes I got for painting a few sheds told me they can’t write.

RasTa

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

What is the British police approach like to Irish Travellers? Is it just a case of the police having a hands off policy and letting them be like it is here?

More of this needed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCpygYSP6cg

Dog handler was cleared of all charges

Gods Gift

Gods Gift wrote: »

Why did kenny do it.
Did he think it would be his legacy.
.

Virtue signalling. It was the same with the acceptance of migrants pushed by the EU. Kenny wanted to appear magnanimous, and charitable towards those "less fortunate". There was no desire to consider the consequences to such gestures, or the overall cost to the taxpayer or society. TBF Kenny wasn't exactly alone in this kind of mindset. We've had a long line of politicians who want to make those kind of gestures.. perhaps showing other countries just how free and inclusive Ireland is.

StevenToast

The Gardai are normal people and they simply reflect the views of the general population...

Edgware

CtevenSrowder wrote: »

Is anyone surprised?

Well you could have knocked me over with a feather!

Gerry Hatrick

The Gardai are correct. Travellers stole and killed my dog many years ago as well as well as stealing two bikes i had in my shed. They've earned their reputation it hasn't been dreamt up like a Donald Trump tweet.

shipposter

I also hate travellers

punisher5112

Sure they have a traveller in the senate now, she set up travellers pride which happens to be exactly the same as the LGBT movement.

Over the years I've caught them stealing, attempt at getting into houses which have footage of, intimidated at home and at work, threats, so much more.


A lot are big into drug dealing now too.